Indulgence
by B. Shenanigans
Summary: THIS STORY IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REWRITTEN.
1. Chapter 1

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter One**_  
_

The woman was already nude, her long brown hair sprawled over her back. Her dress was on the floor beside her bed along with his tie, her stockings and his jacket. She was nibbling at his neck seductively as she tried not to vomit from the smell of his overpriced cologne and the booze on his breath. Her slender fingers moved like spiders, unbuttoning his buttons quickly in order to have the end of the evening come fairly soon. Once his shirt had joined the other garments on the floor, the woman began to plant kisses on his flabby and hairy chest, trying to ignore the bristle feeling against her cheeks. **Think of the money**, she thought over and over in her mind. **Think of the children**. She looked up at him and feigned a smile as she began to unbutton his pants. He smirked as he felt his pants slip past his ankles, leaving him in his underwear. She placed a hand over his crotch and let out a small coo, even though she'd rather wince. "Oh baby. You're so ready for me, aren't you?" He nodded idiotically, panting like he was a dog. She had found that dirty talk put the men in her hands. "Mhm baby, you look like you might be too big for me. You still want me to try?" He nodded yet again like a dog. She took a hard gulp before she pulled down his briefs before immediately closing her eyes. She turned her back towards him and spread her legs over his waiting member. She teased him for a moment with his hands hoping that action would shorten their time together.

He roughly took hold of her hips. A guttural moan came from him which caused the woman to shiver. "I pay you to fuck me, not tempt me." he growled before slamming her down on his length. She let a small squeal from shock. Most clients weren't so rough. She gripped the edge of the bed and let out words of compliance. She cursed internally herself for accepting him, of all people. And to bring him home was another horrible idea. She avoided high profile men. Especially the one that shut down the building she worked in, mocked her personally as he strolled through the building before announcing his takeover as they stood there and watched their mother get downsized. The loss of that job caused her to look at more unconventional methods of earning money. And now she was on top of the man caused it all. He probably didn't even recognize her but she could tell who he was; Gozaburo Kaiba, reaper of souls belonging to the middle and lower classes. But with the amount of money he offered, all she could do was bounce up and down and fabricate moans of pleasure.

**Joey, Serenity**, she thought fiercely in her mind every time she questioned why she was there. Gozaburo roughly sat up on his knees without ever exiting her and started to ram her from behind. She quietly rejoiced the change of pace since the new position left her with less work today. She heard the door creak open. She opened her eyes in fear. It was two in the morning, not even an earthquake would wake Joey and Serenity on a normal basis. She turned her head to the door only to have her horrors realized. There Joey stood in his Astro Boy pajamas, watching his mother getting stroked by a man he's seen on television, magazines and in person as he called him a mutt and his mother and sister whores. The woman knew her son well enough. Gozaburo didn't care enough to stop, he merely kept going despite the presence of her child. This was not going to end positively.** Joey, please don't attack him. Honey please just walk away and-**

"Get offa my ma', ya' asshole!" the eleven year old shouted as ran and tackled Gozaburo, causing him to fall on the other side of the bed. Her grip was so tight she was hardly affected. "Stupid, pompous, **JACKASS**!" Joey exclaimed as her mulled the older man with punches. Though he was feisty the size difference between them was a large factor. Gozaburo flung Joey off of him, making him slam against the wall. This caused the woman to snap as well.

"Get out of my house, Kaiba! You don't come in here and throw my son around!" she yelled. She wrapped the sheets off of her bed and wrapped them around herself and stood promptly on her feet. Gozaburo got up and chuckled malevolently. He looked her dead in the eyes as he sauntered over to Joey, who was still on the ground.

"Remember, **bitch**." he said with much emphasis on the derogatory term. "I paid you to make me cum." His foot connected with Joey's chest strongly. Joey bit his lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of his cries of pain. The woman took in a sharp inhale. "So until you do, I can pretty much do whatever the **fuck **I want!" Upon finishing the sentence, Gozaburo kept kicking Joey in the exact same spot over and over again. "Hell, I won't stop until your bastard child **BLEEDS**!" After seeing her son take several more kicks, she ran over and hopped onto his back and began to pound away at his his head.

"Leave my kid alone!" she shouted before she began to press her fingers into his eyeballs. His mother's attack gave Joey a chance to catch his breath. Gozaburo, running around the room blind and confused, eventually found a wall. He began to slam the woman repeatedly against it, successfully shaking her off.

As she drifted to ground dazed, Gozaburo picked Joey up from off the ground with one hand and picked up his belt with the other. He tied up Joey by his hands and attached him to the bed's poster. He laughed manically. "Let me show you how a real man does it, mutt. Maybe your trailer trash ass can use this on your sister one day." he grinned, getting on his knees. He dragged the nearly unconscious body of his mother to him. He propped her up on her knees and stroked himself to get hard. Joey turned and looked away, only to feel a harsh slap across his face. "I said look!" Gozaburo stroked the woman's entrance with his thumb. He looked at Joey and gave a laugh. "Bitch is wetter than a cat in heat. Your pitiful mother was born to do this." Joey looked away again only to feel the same hand on his face. Joey barely had the energy to move his head now but his eyes seemed to be stapled open as he watched his mother get violated by the man who, seemingly intentional, ruined her life. He kept trying to look away but Gozaburo continued to slap him, even as he thrust into the woman. He laughed manically as she let out small cries of pain, barely audible under the the deafening cackle of Gozaburo.

Before his brainwaves shut down, he said a prayer in his mind. **Please, Lord. Can ya' hear me? Don't let ma' baby sister see this. Grant her sleep. Give her peaceful dreams where she ain't here. Let her dance wit' her prince at her ball while she sleeps. Don't let her see this. **

Sure enough, Serenity slumbered as the others worlds were turned upside down forever.

_

* * *

_

**Six years later**

**

* * *

**

Serenity walked the halls happily, hugging her books to her chest. It was the day she longed for the most; the first day of high school. She had made sure that her blue knee high socks were perfectly. She had double checked her matching pleated skirt and triple checked her white top. The new uniforms had made her so happy because she didn't have to wear the pink and blue atrocity from the previous year. She had craved the new school year for other reasons besides the uniform change. This year, a whole slew of advanced classes had opened up for her to take. She loved the challenge she received from the classes, not to mentioned they looked amazing on her transcript. Her brother and her friends had already ventured to their own morning classes as she struggled to find hers. Luckily, she still had a few minutes to find out. She hummed a small sang to herself as she gleefully bounced on her heels. "_When will you say yes to me? Tell me quando, quando, quando._" she sung as she practically danced by herself down the empty corridor, spinning and swaying her hips lazily. She knew she looked quite stupid box-stepping by herself but her smile was one that could not be crushed. "_You mean happiness to me. Oh my love, please tell me wh-_"

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice beyond the archway. "Y'know you're a real asshole. Ya hear me, asshole! A REAL asshole!" the voice growled, followed by slam. Recognizing the voice as her brother, she raced around the bend to see what was going on. Upon arriving at the scene, she saw a heated Joey standing in front of a stoic figure. He was taller than Joey by a bit and had perfectly cut brown hair. "You stay outta my way and I mean it Kaiba! You can't screw up my life no more!" He had him slammed against the locker by his blue jacket collar. His head turned toward Serenity. He looked dead in her forest green eyes, piercing them with his icy blue orbs. She didn't understand why it happened, but she immediately fell to her knees, dropping her books all around her. She had never seen the infamous Seto Kaiba in person until that very moment. Joey had warned her about the entire Kaiba family, forbidding her to even talk to Mokuba, who was one of her classmates since grade school. The moment he had looked at her, her knees just turned into gelatin. Joey quickly ran over to his fallen sibling. "Serenity! Wha' did you do ta' her, you bastard!" he shouted, getting on his knees and began to gather up her books. Serenity wished to know the same thing.

"I hurt her while you begging for a treat. What the hell do you mean what did I do?" Kaiba spat sarcastically. It sent a shiver down Serenity's back. His voice was even colder than his stare. She looked down at the ground, a look of confusion etched onto her face. Seto gave a devilish smirk. "Then again, I might. Look up at her skirt and then we'll know the answer." Serenity blushed soon after the comment was spoken. "You've done that before, right? Poor kids do that kind of thing."

Joey got back up on his feet. If Serenity wasn't on the ground next to him holding his ankle, he wouldn't be responsible for what happened next. "Leave ma' sista outta dis! Take that back!"

"Ooh, such as strong response from a mutt." Seto taunted, still leaning coolly against the lockers. "Honestly, I know you're dumb but do you have to be that dumb? Now your sister. She looks she has a light bulb going off in her brain. And something even more interesting under the hood."

Joey was now even angrier than he was mere moments ago. He knew Seto was attacking his sister in such away to aggravate Joey and his method proved to be very successful. "Why I outta pu-"

"Joey let him go." Serenity murmured where only Joey could hear her. Joey quickly turned around in disbelief. There was nothing more in the world but to sock Kaiba in his jaw. As if he heard the comment, Seto laughed as Serenity's face grew into a darker red. Serenity knew that Joey's grades would plummet if he got kicked out of school the first day. Their mother would be completely disappointed. Joey realized this and seemed to sink into himself. He went to the ground and finished helping his sister.

"That's right, listen to the smart one." Seto scoffed before he walked away, disappearing down the hallway.

After organizing the books in a pile, Joey turned around and shook his fist at Seto. "This ain't ova, Kaiba! Not even close!" he then stood up and turned back around to his sister. He extended a helping hand. "C'mon, Ren. You got your new skirt all dirty. Peter 'ill get mad." Upon hearing that, she sprung to life, wiping of her skirt when she landed on her feet. Peter, their stepfather, was a light in Serenity's dim world and she didn't want to disappoint him. Joey could only laugh happily upon seeing that Serenity was fine. He picked up her heavy load of books and smiled at her. Her schedule was on top of her chemistry book. "'Kay, Mrs. Clean. I'll walk you to your class. Advanced Placement European History? Geez, Serenity. Don't break ya' tongue sayin' that one! An' wit' Ms. Meyai? Had that woman last year. Definitely not the class for me!"

"You don't have to be in it, just show me where it is!" Serenity pouted playfully, linking her arms with Joey's. Joey's speech had gotten better, though he slipped back into his Brooklyn dialect from time to time, which was forgivable. She blames all the summers they spent with their wealthy uncle in America. He guided down the hall, almost regally. As the glided down the hallway in silence, she spoke up and glanced at her brother. "Why do you hate Seto so much, Joe?"

Joey gritted his teeth as soon as Seto's name left Serenity's lips. Serenity noticed this and looked away. "He's evil, Serenity." Joey said darkly. "He's thinks that everybody is nothin' but a doormat. He don't give two shits about you or me. Got it? Him an' his whole damn family ain't done nothin' for us Wheelers, an' we gotta give im' hell back. You know that, I've told ya a million an' one times." Serenity nodded, though she still didn't quite understand. She began to twirl the locket around her neck.

"Mom said we shouldn't hate anyone." Serenity muttered under her breath, reminiscing about the past with her parents. "She said to be careful, but never hate. Right?" She looked up at her brother, still angry in the face nodded. "I didn't think so." She smiled and opened her locket to reveal two photos of her mother; one was when she was younger with short hair, leaning back with her hands in the air during her one of her dance revues and the other was with her long hair, kissing Serenity on the cheek when she was a child. Joey was saddened at Serenity's naivety but he couldn't let her know. He just knew he had to protect her.

(:::)

He strummed his fingers on the desk, waiting for the class to start. _Serenity, _he thought in his mind. _Wheeler, I can only assume. An awful disgusting name in terms of her, to say the least. There's no way Beauty came out of the same womb as the Beast. Probably half siblings or something like that. Wouldn't put it past their mom. I was anticipating her timidness but to be so cute..I was blindsided. _He cradled his head in the palm of his hand, still thinking of the younger Wheeler. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the nature of the thoughts. _I still think this is beneath me. But what the hell? I haven't anything else to do in this reject school. _Soon, the hall's echo projected the voices into his quickly checked his watch. _Right on time. One and a half early, actually. Punctuality, Ms. Wheeler. That is key. _

"And I! Joseph Wheeler was victorious! Amazin' right?" he heard the mutt boast as he could hear the playful applause of his sister. He rolled his eyes.

_He would be the one to ruin things. Oh well. When plan A fails, you've got twenty five other letters to choose from._ The pair of walked into the room with smiles abound only to have them fade in the wake of Seto Kaiba. Seto could only smirk. Joey dropped all of Serenity's books on the ground in shock. By the looks of it, he was certain she would fall if not for her brother. "And so we met again, Ms. Wheeler." Seto chided. He looked into Serenity's eyes once again._ This is going to be easier than I thought. _Joey growled as if he was about to chomp on Seto's neck. His eyes were aflame with a sign that said 'Don't Even Be In My Sister's Presence'. But this factor only made Seto more ready to initiate his plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Two**_  
_

The three were there in a sort of Mexican standoff situation. Seto's smugness broke the silence. "So, Joey. I can only assume you're escorting your sister because I don't believe you can even _spell_ 'European', can you?" he mocked. Joey pulled his arm back to punch but Serenity grabbed his fist in efforts to calm him down. "Good boy. Heel. Stay."

Joey had reached a breaking point, dropping Serenity's books on the floor. "Alright, ya sonofabitch! You're askin' for-"

"Joseph Wheeler, I thought I wouldn't have to here your dirty mouth this year but it seems you've crept into my four walls! Out!" Joey wasn't pleased with the fact that her sister was in the same class as his personal Satan. He had exclaimed to Miss Meyai to put him in the class, separate them and allow him to punch Seto in his face like what had been owed to him. After nearly fighting Joey to leave her classroom, Miss Meyai began her lesson. "Since this is the first day, we'll do a 'getting to know you' exercise. Please write down these questions down on a piece of notebook paper." she instructed. A chorus of rips rand throughout the classroom as people took out their paper. Since the class was filled to the brim with students, Serenity sat uncomfortably next to Seto Kaiba. "I have to run and get some more books for the class, it seems. I won't be more than a moment."

She watched the small brunette woman walk out the door, adjusting her glasses as she passed the threshold. The room was alight with conversation and she was stuck next to silent Seto Kaiba. It took every bone in her body to focus on looking ahead of her. She didn't feel it necessary to _hate _Kaiba like her brother did but she wanted to avoid being so easily distracted. Even being next to him made her nerves rattle. _One look can't hurt, right_? Serenity tried to justify in her mind. _Yeah, one look then I can focus on the lesson._ Proud of herself, she took in a deep breath. She wouldn't have to be concerned about falling since she was already in her chair, right? Gripping the edge of her desk, she slowly turned her head towards him only to meet a pair of eyes staring at her. She was at a loss for words. Was he looking at her? Was she imagining it? Was-

"Pencil?" he asked plainly. She swallowed spit hard. For some reason, even the way he had said a single word was crude and entrancing. He pointed down at the ground and directed her attention there, spotting his mechanical pencil. She kicked over the pencil and then hurriedly resumed her previous position and began to copy the questions from the board. She had breathed ever slowly to make her heartbeat return to normal. She wish she knew what he was doing to her but it couldn't be deciphered. The clearing of his throat prompted her to look his way once again. He once again directed her to the ground, the pencil she had kicked over still lying there. She was confused. "Pick it up." he ordered. She looked at him and then again at the pencil nervously. She had tried to reach over the wooden deck preventing her from getting it but failed. She shrugged her shoulders at him and looked at him pleadingly. With the snap of his fingers, she swiftly moved out of her chair and walked around to Seto's pencil. She squatted down and picked it up. She looked directly into his eyes as she handed the pencil to him. She felt demeaned but she couldn't help but listen. It was a strange attachment she couldn't understand. After staring at her for a moment, Seto looked forward. "I don't want it anymore. You can take it." Serenity gave a huff, standing up again and brushing herself off. _He did that on purpose to make a fool out of me! _she concluded. _He's putting me in-between this war with him and my brother..but I won't let him get me!_ She walked back around to her seat and decided to finish the assignment.

The questions were simple enough; What is your name, age and grade? What is one of your hobbies? What European country would you most like to visit and why? It was pretty easy for an advanced placement class, even if it was the first day of school. Serenity was expecting more but didn't complain. Her mind was cloudy anyways. After quickly copying the questions down and answering them, she opened the book she had been given in her English class; A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. She had actually been reading the book over the summer at the local library when she could and was excited by the fact she now had a copy to take home. Her and Joey couldn't get a library card because her nor Joey were old enough and her step-father couldn't take them to go get one.

Seto noticed how excited she got as she read the book. He surveyed her legs, shaking feverishly while reading. She bit the corner of her mouth as her eyes intensely scanned the pages. He smirked at her childish tendencies. He reached over and took the book from her hands and read a couple of sentences. "Oh, isn't this a delectable piece of vulgarity. Does big brother Mutt know you're reading this?" he taunted, flipping through the pages incessantly. Serenity looked away and blushed. The content was a little darker than what Joey typically saw her read but she was hoping he would understand it. She kept her gaze away from him and extended her hand, hoping he would place the book there with no further issue. He scoffed and gave her the book back. She put the book back in her worn and torn bag and pretended to write, hoping he would simply allow her to work. "Grade 10..such an awkward year. Everyone hates you by default and picks on you mercilessly. Well, probably not _you_ being the biggest bulldog's little sister. So that makes you...a puppy." Her head snapped towards him, genuinely offended.

"I'm not any animal of the sorts!" Serenity squealed defensively. "And I don't understand why you refer to my brother in such a cruel manner. We are not a group of canines, we are human beings."

He simply smirked at her, knowing his plan had worked. He was in her head. "You just played fetch for me. At the snap of my fingers as well, I wasn't expecting that." Her face grew red with anger as well as embarrassment, mostly the latter. Seto scooted his desk toward her with a malevolent grin. He grabbed her face roughly and ran his thumb over her soft lips. "You know, you're kinda cute when you're red in the face. It's kind of adorable, Pup. If you ever need a job, I'm sure I can find something for you scrubbing the floors of my mansion." He pushed her face away as Miss Meyai reentered the room. Serenity remained awestruck. Seto smirked to himself. He got her.

(:::)

Serenity was idly poking at her noodles as the other engaged in conversation concerning the summer, Duel Monsters and their new classes but Serenity remained silently as she twirled her noodles and watched them fall off of her fork. To avoid questioning from her older brother, she pretended to read her European History book but in all honesty, Napoleon was far from her mind. Serenity thought it was best not to tell Joey about what happened in class. He would strangle Seto for sure and she wanted him to actually graduate. She glanced up and saw Seto Kaiba and two other kids eating different food that was served to her friends, most likely ordered out from some fancy restaurant in the city. She recognized Seto's lunch companions; Marik Ishtar, the one of darker complexion with blond eyes and purple eyes, was heir to the famous Ishtar antiquing store in Domino as well as his family's highly publicized excursions into the desert. His sister had her own archeology program on television. Duke Devlin, the boy with long black hair and emerald green eyes, started Dungeon Dice Monsters and owned a very popular card shop at the age of 16. To her brother, they were all pompous jerks who thought they were better than everyone else. Despite the arrogance they radiated, she wanted to hope there was some good inside of them. Serenity scoffed upon looking over there and resumed feigning reading still sneaking the slightest glance at Kaiba.

"Hey Serenity, what's boggling your mind?" Bakura asked, breaking away from the conversation. She shook her head, denying anything was wrong. Bakura was her second brother. She was closer to him than her brother was and was always protecting her, especially from Tristan. Bakura then stared at her full lunch plate. "Lunch is almost over and you haven't even touched your food. And you've got something sticking out from your book there. Probably an old note card."

Serenity rose an eyebrow and slid the envelope from the book slowly. At the top, a silver printed 'SK' was at the top. She took in a sharp breath and put it back in there, too cautious around her brother who was sitting right next to her. Bakura opened his mouth to speak but Serenity placed a finger over her lips, indicating she needed his silence. Bakura in turn pointed at her plate. She smiled, understanding the deal. She opened her mouth wide and put in a forkful of noddles. Bakura grinned as she chewed and nodded in approval when she swallowed. "You have to eat to get through Ms. Matveev's gym class. I have your back, mate." Bakura stood up and patted her on the head. "I'm off to the library. See you guys later." Before he turned around, he mouthed the words 'Call me' to her. Everyone muttered their goodbyes to Bakura and then continued their conversation. Serenity looked up at Seto. He flashed her a smirk before she got up abruptly and dismissed herself to get ready for physical education. She was red in the face and Seto couldn't help but partake in a laugh.

Across the lunch room, he sat with his companions. He had not necessarily deemed them 'friends'. They were only together because they all had stature and were under the impression they had to stick together. Seto was forced to go to their parties, make nice with their families and, worst of all, participate in their sick games. He was caught up in one as they spoke of the details. "I've got Téa Gardner." Marik claimed as he ate his shrimp pasta. Duke and Seto shot him a questioning look. He looked at them defensively. "Sure she's an annoyingly bright ball of sunshine but behind that she has a nice rack and a high insecurity level. Easy. And I think it's fair since we tossed Seto the hardest one."

Duke nodded in agreement. "I guess I can't say anything, I've got Rebecca Hawkins. I might be the one going to jail by the end of the semester. But it seems as if Seto is the only one making any sort of progress. But I find it hard to believe you've made any productive moves on the first day." Seto kept his silence, as he normally did around Duke and Marik. Joey had always thought Seto was the devil, if only he could witness what things Marik and Duke say. This of such a crude nature it would even offend Seto himself. But, as he feared when their acquaintanceship started, it had rubbed off on him. "Silent Kaiba, as always. He's scheming in there."

"But come on, Serenity Wheeler? I've been trying to get her since junior high, I don't think I've even heard her talk before." Marik said, highly doubting Seto. "I gave you her so I could win. I don't think you'll make it past the first stages."

"Well, I already have a leg up on you. She talks to me." Seto countered, sipping his bottled water. Marik looked at each other, laughing and playfully hitting Kaiba who was sitting in between them. Seto awaited the end of high school. The public school project had done nothing to aid him and the seedy kids beside him were going to drag him down with them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Three**_  
_

One week had past since the first day of school. Homework had begun to be distributed, new bonds had been made and students had determined their favorite teachers. A particular favorite was Ms. Lei's English class, if only for her new student teacher. It was a busty, always scantily clad, blond woman who went by Ms. Valentine. "She's beautiful, 'Ren! I ain't never seen a broad look good as her! I mean, she ain't no broad, she's a real woman!" Joey exclaimed, twirling in his own euphoria in the rain. Serenity had tried to keep him sheltered from the rain but he would soon slip from her umbrella's reach and jump and shout."She's real smart, an' she got the biggest beautiful purple eyes! An' I think she likes me 'cause she let's me call her by her firs' name! Whadya think, Serenity? Huh? You think she might like me?" Every walk home from school, Joey talked about her to no end. He was a graduating student going about like he was still in grade school in love with his teacher.

"You might have a chance, Joey." she responded hopefully. Doing a fist pump, he jumped in the air in rejoice. She laughed at her maniacal brother. Serenity didn't mind because it gave her time to contemplate her own situation. The note Seto had slipped Serenity was still in her book. She had carefully hid it from her brother, knowing he would brutally attack Seto. The same day she received the parchment, she ran to her room and read it away from the eyes of her brother._** I can already see you yearning for more, you have no idea what's in sto**__**re. SK**_.

The words perplexed her but she still kept the note with her. Every time she had tried to talk to her, he hadn't made any effort to maintain a conversation explaining the note. Most times, she would simply be shrugged off, most excuses being that he was 'trying to focus on class work' or 'didn't want to be associated with her'. The only other person who knew about the note and its contents was Bakura. Serenity trusted him not to say anything to her brother and he had proven faithful. Bakura suggested going up to him but she decided it wasn't the best idea. Seto was confusing her beyond any possible reason and she tried with all her might to shove the thoughts into the back of her mind. But with the note in her bag, she was going nowhere fast.

The two soon got home, entering their shabby one-story house through the side door because their feet were wet. They walked through the worn but tidy kitchen and stopped at the living room entrance to take off their shoes. Peter, their step-dad from America, had been vacuuming the carpeted floor. He was a tall and slender man with short blond hair that curled around his ears. He was wearing black cotton pajama pants. Upon seeing them, he stopped the vacuum and smiled. "Don't you guys worry, I'll get you something to eat. Dinner's on the way! Hurry up and get out of those wet clothes." he said brightly as he went down the hallway. "I'm gonna check in on your mom really quick and bring her out to eat.."

Peter was basically a glorified nurse and maid, more so than a father. Their mother and Peter weren't even technically married, they just claimed such to questioning (and mostly hypocritical) neighbors. Serenity and Joey didn't mind. Their mother had been very sick for the last two years and since they couldn't afford hospital fees and barely could pay for medicine to manage her illness, Peter was the best thing they had. He works as a telemarketer so he won't have to leave her alone, as much as she yearned for independence He was truly in love with their mother and had been for the last five years. Serenity had taken a liking to him because of how he cared for her mother.

Joey crossed through the living room and went into his room which was next to Serenity's and right across from his mother's and Peter's room. Serenity had begun to head to her own bedroom, the phone rang. Peter was still wrapped up in tending to their mother so she turned back around into the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Hello?" she answered as she cradled the phone on her shoulder to use her hands to put her hair into a ponytail.

"_Oh my God, Serenity. I've got a date on Friday! This Friday, in fact!_" Rebecca Hawkins shrieked into Serenity's ear. "_Duke FREAKIN' DEVLIN asked me out not three minutes ago. He was so sweet, Serenity! He was stumbling over his words and talking really softly on my doorstep. You see, he dropped me off at home because it was raining and even walked me to by porch with an umbrella! Anyway, he asked if he could take me out on Friday and I said yes! Then he kissed me on the cheek really sweetly and said he could barely stand the wait. Awh, isn't that just lovely? And he wants to go on a double date too so I need you so ask your folks tonight **PLEASE!**_" Rebecca was a year younger than Serenity. She had gotten bumped up to Grade 10 because of her incredible intellect. They had only met a week ago in gym class but Rebecca looked up to Serenity even though she was as new to high school as her. Serenity could just imagine her jumping up and down, causing her blond hair to bounce off her back. "_Holy crap, he's calling right now! Call me back! Ask to spend the night!_" The line went dead and Serenity shook her head with a smile. She rarely got a word in around that girl.

"Serenity, you're still in those clothes! You better be changed before dinner." Peter playfully ordered Serenity. She nodded with a smile and made a dash for her room.

(:::)

Seto, Marik and Duke all lounged in Seto's den as the fire roared while they planned their devious deeds. Marik and Duke had developed a hobby of playing dark games with the virginal females of their school grounds, in town and even while they vacationed in exotic and extravagant places. They would invert these girls lives with no remorse. With the new school year, they had selected new targets. Marik had been doing it for the longest. His method was to show them a dangerous side that they couldn't get anywhere else. He had enjoyed the straitlaced women because he had enjoyed unraveling them. Duke was always the most successful of the two. His disasters begun by him acting sensitive behind a rough exterior. Though he garnered more women, Marik's were always worse off. The previous year, he had sent pictures of one of the teachers completely nude in seductive poses to the entire school. She had run off to Europe and no one had ever heard from her again. Duke had caused a girl to admit she had sex with her step brother at her own graduation.

Seto was new to the games. He had tried to avoid participating in them but he had been pulled in. Not participating in them would have meant losing two very key networking opportunities. Marik had his doubts but Duke had high hopes for him. Seto had been given Serenity Wheeler. The other two had tried (and failed) to acquire Serenity's innocence and decided to give the efforts to Seto. They thought it would be entertaining, especially since her older brother had a grudge against his entire family. "So how are you going to get Rebecca?" Marik asked as Duke fiddled with his phone. "The old double date? But I haven't started on Téa yet, how can-"

"Seto started to work on Serenity." Duke added, looking up from his cellular device. "I'll use him. Rebecca and Serenity are the best of friends anyway, it'll be fun."Seto diverted his eyes from his book and looked at the two of them. Duke had a confidant air around him whereas Marik's face held a hint of jealousy. "You wouldn't even have to ask. She'll ask Serenity by default and there you go. It's already being put in motion, don't fight it. Be ready by tomorrow night, I'll come over tomorrow and we'll do a play-by-play."

"But _we _were supposed to work on Téa tomorrow!" Marik said defensively, standing with his fist balled up. Seto looked at him with an arched eyebrow. He didn't understand why he was so envious, he didn't even want to be involved.

"I can do both, you big baby." Duke mocked causing Marik to sit back down in his seat. Marik still had a glare directed at Kaiba. Duke turned his direction back to Seto. "So what do you say, Kaiba? It'll be productive. And you'll need help, this being your first mark." Seto shrugged.

"Perhaps. But I do have my own plans."

(:::)

The clang of forks hitting plates filled the air as the Wheeler family ate dinner. Serenity had changed into a pair of Joey's jeans and a white tee shirt. Joey was wearing blue pajama shorts and black beater and Peter had thrown on a white tee shirt as well. Their mother sat in between them and across from Peter. She had her long brown hair in a loose bun and was wearing an old white sundress. She was very pale because she didn't go into the sun much but it had seemed if her illness had not afflicted her beauty. She still looked as lovely as she did when she first gave birth to Joey when she was twenty. They ate their mashed potatoes and pork chops in silence. As she ate, Serenity took a couple of glances at her mother. She looked sicker than usual. "Haruko, you don't look very good. Are you not taking to your new medicine very well?" Peter asked, very concerned. He reached over and took her hand in his. She gave him a grin. Serenity admired the way her mother managed to keep a sparkle in her eye.

"No, not really. Saquinavir makes me kind of nauseous. Can you tell? Oh, I'm sorry." she apologized, closing her eyes and looking away from everyone. "I would like to go back on Stavudine but there's no way we can afford it. We can barely afford the Saquinavir. And plus we have to consider Joey and Serenity's college fund. It may not be much but maybe it'll help."

It pained all three of them to see her like that and still not think of herself. She was too selfless for her own good. "Well Ma, I can take a second job an' maybe ask down at the auto shop for more hours. Plus, I ain't concerned 'bout no college anyway, you know dat."

Haruko shook her head at the idea. "No, Joe. It's more than one hundred dollars more and I want you to focus on school. Remember, that's priority." she scolded as she finished her plate. Peter took it and stacked it on top of his. "And plus, I don't like you working at that shop anyway. Which reminds me, _no _riding that darn motorcycle until you get a new helmet for yourself. I had hoped you would have a new one by the time school started. Until that happens, Peter will take you back and forth to work. Is that fine, honey?" Peter nodded at her. He took the remaining plates and put them in the sink. Joey grumbled but didn't make any efforts to protest the decision. Her head turned to Serenity as Peter served everyone ice cream. "So how was your very first week of high school? Make any friends?"

Serenity nodded as she took a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and happily ate it. "I made a friend, Rebecca Hawkins. She actually wants to hang out this Friday, if it's alright with you Mom."

Her mother nodded, granting her permission. Serenity was actually excited. She hadn't slept over someone's house in so long. "It's fine, as long as Rebecca's family is-" Suddenly, her her mother's face grew distorted. Serenity and Joey both hopped out of their respective chairs and gripped their mother's shoulder in concern. "Oh, no worries. It's just a little heartburn. Probably from the medicine."

Suspecting the cause before it was confirmed, Peter gave her a glass of warm water with baking soda. "That's the third time today. And you've been complaining about your back too, Haruko. I'm not liking this new medicine."

Haruko flashed a smile at him. To appease him she took a sip of the water. The siblings sunk back into their seats. "If you haven't noticed, I'm old Pete. Old people have back problems. It's nature." she playfully quipped. Peter's face was still unhappy.

"You're 37. That's not old, not by a mile." Peter frowned. "That's it, _I'm _taking a second job. Who knows what other side effects are coming with that crap? We gotta get you back Stavudine." Haruko was going to protest but Peter swiftly kissed her cheek. "You're not getting a say in this, Haruko. You've gone through too much."

They stared each down, both with fierce looks in their eyes. "Hey, can you guys give us a minute?" Haruko said casually, never breaking the gaze. "Pete and I have to have a talk. Go ahead and take your ice cream, just wash it later." The two nodded and made their way out of the kitchen with their bowls in hand. The two never argue, just used passionate words with barely loud voices. Joey actually found it kind of funny how his mother would fight Peter to _not _help her. That's what their conversations were, it never changed. Serenity wished that her mom would just take some extra help.

Serenity had gone to the living room to finish her ice cream whereas Joey went to his own bedroom. She turned on the television and turned to the paid programming channel and thought to herself. _If you ever need a job, I'm sure I can find something for you scrubbing the floors of my mansion._ Serenity recalled Seto saying that to her during their first encounter. She took a hard gulp. If Joey would find out she even considered working for Kaiba, he would have her head in a vice. But it was a risk she may have to take to help her mother.


	4. Chapter 4

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Four**

Serenity sat awkwardly at the table, idly drinking her water as Rebecca sat and talked to Duke. Serenity wore a modest white and blue dress that she had once worn as a bridesmaid for a wedding. Rebecca sat next to her, her fingers idly intertwined with Duke as the whispered sweet nothings at each other. Rebecca donned a low-cut red dress that clung to her body in the most obvious of ways. Serenity and Kaiba not speak to each other as the other two did. The air between them felt stale and old as their companions enjoyed themselves. Serenity was sure that her evening at Rebecca's would be spent going over the evening she was currently sitting through, detail by detail. She wished she would have asked Rebecca who her date was before she agreed to Because the idea of 'going dutch' had flown into everyone's heads, Serenity had to drink water with no complaints as she had no money to spend on food. Serenity sometimes looked up at Kaiba, who was enjoying a lobster dinner, contemplating her idea to actually start working for him. She believed that underneath all of the vapid jerk attitude there was at least the shell of a human being. Joey would massacre her for sure, maybe even crossing their mother's lines to prevent her from working. She couldn't have Joey breaking the rules for her. She thought it was high time for her to take some initiative and take a couple of risks of her own. "So, Serenity. Your father is an American?" Duke said, breaking the fourth wall of the miniature production him and Rebecca had put on.

Serenity looked up, surprised to be addressed. "No, my stepfat- well, my mother's boyfriend. It's just easier to say father." she smiled, taking another sip of her water. "He's very kind to my brother and me. He cooks and cleans, takes care of my ailing mother, he's a true gift."

Rebecca's concerned face had broken her infatuation glance towards Duke. "Your mom's sick? You didn't tell me that. Is it something manageable?" Serenity cringed. The final question _everyone _asked. Serenity hoped that her lapse of character went unnoticed and smiled and nodded. It was easier to nod than explain her mother's conditioned. Not because of its time consumption but rather the emotional affliction it left on Serenity each time. "Well, that's good. I wanna meet your mom! You talk about her all the time, she sounds so cool! And I wanna help her! Maybe even if it's just bringing soup or something."

Duke brought a hand to her face and turned it towards him. "You are so adorably valiant." Rebecca's attention was once again sapped up by Duke Devlin. The younger girl couldn't ignore Devlin's charm. Duke stood up from his seat and whispered in Rebecca's ears. The content was unheard by Serenity but the blush on Rebecca's face suggested something inappropriate. The two left hand in hand. Serenity sighed and resumed drinking her water. She tried to ignore her stomach's growl by gnawing the inside of her lip. She wished she would have eaten before she left her house but she gave her plate to Joey, who had secretly gone out to work another shift at work.

"So you really want to work for me?" Seto brought up, wiping his mouth before plopping the napkin on the table. He pushed his plate away, still half filled with food. Serenity twitched at the waste but nodded quickly without looking at him.

"My mom's medicine that we have right now is making her have bad side effects." Seto's interest peaked. The tone of Serenity's voice had transformed. He had reason to believe that the condition of her mother was much more severe than she thought. "We can't afford the kind we had before because of the pay cut Peter took among other things. So now we're in a rough spot. And I know you meant it as a way to poke fun at me but I seriously do need the money." Seto covered his mouth with hand to feign a look of concern but underneath his palm lied a devious smirk.

"Bark." he ordered without missing a beat. Serenity's eyes widened. "You want to get money for your mom's medicine? It's called sacrifice. I'm _sacrificing _an actual trained worker work in my home. I'm _sacrificing _money to pay you. Now, bark before the window of opportunity closes forever, Puppy."

(:::)

The clock had struck eleven. Joey's face was coated in grease from a long day's work. Typical auto shops closed at 7 in the evening at the latest. But Doc's kept an unusual schedule especially for employees who needed more hours. These employees would tune-up late passing customers, commit more time to vehicles that require more attention and in some cases paperwork. But the day was officially over at exactly eleven. Joey slid from under a car and met face to face with Doc, the owner. "Joe, I really appreciate you workin' on sister's car. I need it to be perfect by her birthday." Doc grinned appreciatively. Doc was a young man, 27 years old in fact, who had come into some money and started a tiny auto shop. He was named Doc by his employees because of his former dreams of becoming a physician. He was also bright, intuitive and especially kind. Doc ran his hands through his black hair slowly and took in a deep breath.

"Man, I wish I could cater to Serenity like you do ta' yours!" Joey laughed brightly. "You guys are pretty close fa' bein' adopted an' all. That's a real good thing, Doc." A honk outside prompted Doc to look out through his glass office and look outside in front. "An' I know it'll be easier fa' ya' not ta' be picked up everyday by ya' little sis!" Doc nodded and laughed.

Soon Doc's sister exited the car. The blaring headlights made her impossible to make out. "Oh great, she's coming in! You finally get to meet the woman who's been car you've been slaving over. As she came into full view, Joey's jaw dropped. The long curly blond hair struck him hard and then the long legs wrapped in white stockings hit him even harder. His angelic obsession materialized right before him. "Joe, this is my sister Mai. Mai, this is-"

"Joseph Wheeler, year 12, sits front row in my English class and has a bit of trouble sleeping during class. Hm. Now I know why." she purred playfully. "My big brother has been running you absolutely tired working on my little car." She walked up to him and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Thanks. Now come on, Justin. I've got to get to school in the morning. And so does Mr. Wheeler."

Doc nodded and headed out the door, leaving Joey to lock up. He stood there with a dumb smile on his face. He watched as she got in the car and drove off with Doc in the passenger's seat.

(:::)

Duke leaned back against the bathroom stall and sighed as Rebecca took him inside of her mouth. She was on her knees, trying her hardest to please him. He gave an occasional moan and yelp but otherwise felt the activity mundane. It was nothing wrong with her, she was absolutely beautiful; far superior of girls her age. Her technique was also intoxicating. But his thoughts wandered to the other female accompanying them that evening. He honestly had already grew bored of Rebecca. He wasn't even sure she was virgin anymore. Her eagerness to get her hand down his pants raised questions against her chastity.

But Serenity was, without a single doubt, a pure girl. It was his fetish, his odd obsession with virgins. It was he who had started the games Marik, Seto and himself played. Something about teaching a girl the ways of sex pleased him. Crushing them also often felt good, but that implication was suggested by Marik rather than from his own mind. But Rebecca already seemed to know her way around. He gave a legitimate shiver. _Deep throat. That's always interesting_. He thought to himself. The gagging sound she made nearly disgusted him. Though it felt quite good, the sound was unbearable. He had to quickly come up with an idea to cease this behavior. Suddenly, as the bathroom door swung open Rebecca chose to abandon her efforts and jump on the toilet seat. _What luck? _

"Yeah babe, there is this girl literally _barking_ out there! It's priceless. You should have came." a voice cried in a bout of laughter. Curious, Duke rushed out of the stall and peeked outside. He saw Serenity on her hands and knees, barking as Seto gave a malicious grin. Rebecca remained inside of the stall, confused.

"Oh my, he works faster than I would have imagined." he muttered to himself. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket to call Marik. These games were just getting good.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! The delay is because I'm a senior and balancing homework and extracurriculars is a hard task. Thank you, lovely reviewers. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Five**

Morning had just broken on that sunny Friday and Haruko and Peter were already staring each other down at the kitchen table. Haruko had a firm grin on her face as she gripped the phone that was under her palm. Her legs, encased in Serenity's Pokémon pajamas, shifted confidently under the table. Peter had a more grave look on his face. He was alert and concerned for the woman across from him. "You're not getting this phone, Pete. I'm not going to let it happen." Peter was expecting a phone call from a job he had applied for the previous week. It was dire for him to answer when they called and Haruko knew this. The manager was said he would call precisely at 9:15 and the clock had just struck 9:13. Peter was too afraid to take it by force in fear of harming her. She sat in arrogance, knowing this fact too well. She knew every card he could play and she held every single one of them. "You think this is completely selfless? The kids are gone until three, Joey leaves at five, Serenity's knee deep in homework. What am I gonna do with you gone?" Haruko joked. She was always being mocked for her lack of average avarice. Peter held her gaze and reached for the phone. Haruko timely pulled away from him. "Oh, you Americans are so brash! Head first, no tactics. You just want to assume the worst anyway. Just let me adjust to the new pills and I'll be fine."

Peter huffed. He examined her smirking face. Full of confidence and pride masking a bruised ego. She hated to be dependent on others and he knew that. He knew Haruko was difficult, but not _this _difficult. She was willing to sacrifice her own well-being for the comfort of her loved ones. This lit an unequivocal fire in her eyes, never to decline into a mere ember. "Haruko, why won't you just accept my help? I wouldn't be gone too long everyday, mostly at night when you're asleep and-"

"Then Serenity would be here with just me and with the crime rate in this area, I wouldn't trust myself to fend off robbers and rapists." Haruko cooed as Peter maintained his glare. She was a very feisty woman even though she was very ill. "You know, you're cute when you're pissed at me." Peter stood up from his chair and walked over to her. He cupped her face gently and smiled down at her. "I love frustrating you, you know that."

He looked at how vulnerable she was at his touch. Haruko was like a porcelain doll to be handled with care with the mentality of monster truck. Peter could just picture her overexerting herself when he was away and the thought made him shudder. Even though she had said it jokingly, she probably wouldn't be okay at home by her lonesome. "Okay, fine. I'll stay. I won't take the job." he sighed in defeat. She gave a giggle. He had wondered why she was laughing, give a quizzical look.

"I know. I unplugged the line anyway." Haruko smiled, lifting herself up to placed a small yet intimate kiss on Peter's lips. His eyes widened at the touch of her mouth on his.

"Trickster.." he mumbled before returning the kiss. Peter was amazed at the vixen under his fingertips. Soon the kiss they shared deepened for the first time in what felt like ages. Haruko stood up and swung her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes to give him an even sweeter display of affection. He hoisted her into the air and she cooperatively wrapped her legs around his hips. He placed her on the kitchen counter, allowing her to take off her shirt and toss it on one of the dining chairs. She then ripped open his white button down like a ravenous animal and pawed at his perfect torso. Peter's youth pulsated with every touch of her mature skin. He gripped her thigh with initiative as she nibbled at his neck. He broke the kiss and went to unbuckle his pants when Haruko suddenly stopped him. His eyes had a look she could not readily identify. This was one of the few times she had seen him unraveled from his usual self. "Haruko, please. I have protection I swear I do!" he debated but she steadily shook her head 'no'. He stopped its movement and directed her eyes to align with his. She was still breathing heavy, winding down from the excitement. "I know what I want. I want to spend the rest of my life!"

"If you get infected, you wouldn't have much of a life left." she said more to herself than him. He still heard the morbid sentence. This further aggravated him.

"Don't make dark jokes, Haru." Peter said pleadingly, using his pet name for her to soften her spirits but his efforts were futile. "I've been here, with you, for five years. I cook for you, clean for you, take care of kids I can only hope one day to call my own. I want to show you how much I love you, Haruko. Even if I do get it, I'll be fine."

"Pete, you're twenty-three. You're young, handsome and just as sweet as sugar." she said, kissing his cheek softly. "You are an amazing caretaker for me and my kids. Not to mention I couldn't ask for a better father figure for them. But they're growing up and I'm growing older. And with how things are going, I won't ma-"

"Don't say that, Haru. Please don't." he begged, squeezing her hands tightly. He never wanted to let them go. He regained his composure and brought her in close. She rested her head on his chest, soothed by the beating of her heart. He had almost forgotten how sick she was when they kissed. The disease that was eating away at her body, the one she swore he would never contract, had driven a rift of intimacy in their relationship. But to hold her so closely like he was, was enough to keep him happy. "I promise, I'll make sure you get the medicine you need. I'll do whatever it takes."

(:::)

The school had just let out for the weekend yet Serenity remained because the librarian trusted her enough to let her stay for an extra hour or so. Serenity sat peacefully, finishing up her European History homework. She let out a sigh and drunk from her water bottle. Serenity felt incredibly nervous. At four thirty, she was to start her new job at Seto's mansion. He said he would have a car sent for her at exactly four fifteen. Her cover story for her parents and Joey was that she was hang out with Rebecca, who she was sure was cuddling up to Duke somewhere. Rebecca had no problem lying to Serenity's mother even though it made her uneasy that Serenity wouldn't give her a reason. Peter was usually more on top of those matters but he was too busy making to check where Serenity was. She was skeptical about the whole situation. It was going to her first job, which her mother had forbidden her from getting. It would have been safer just to remain focused on her schoolwork and leave the financial support to the other members of her family. But just to think about her mother suffering from the new medication made her ill. "Just a couple of extra bucks a week and then my mom will be absolutely fine." she tried to convince herself. "I'll get the medicine. It will be perfect."

She wrote the final line of her essay on the Enlightenment with a small smile on her face, metaphorically applauding herself for the good work she had done. Her goal was to graduate the top of her class, just as Serenity's mother hoped for. In her eyes, the harder she worked, the more likely her mother attendance at her graduation would be. Hench the advanced classes, the early homework and the constant projects she completed for extra credit through her years of education. Now she would have to work on her homework as the final bell rang to accommodate her work schedule. "I don't even know why Joey hates Kaiba so much. Yeah, Kaiba is kind of rude but...maybe it's just Joey's quick fuse. He doesn't like it when people talk about us.." She picked up her book and shook it for any forgotten papers, as was her routine. Along with her homework she had just finished and some notes she took in class was another silver initialed letter. She knew it wasn't the one from before because that one was locked up in the dark recesses of her closet. She opened the note out of curiosity. It was an empty envelope. No letter in sight. She was fairly confused. She flipped it over in hopes something would fall out. What produced was a white star charm. It was simple but very pretty. Looking at it sparked a smile in her heart. It reminded her of a star she used to play with at her mom's job, it was the company logo so they had plenty of merchandise such as erasers, clipboards, coasters. With the lack of money for toys, those were her and Joey's equivalent to dolls and toy trucks. She moved the star in-between her index finger and thumb. "Just like old times."

She heard the horn honk from outside. She peaked out of the window from her seat, seeing a black Impala parked out front. She quickly gathered her items, secured her newly acquired charm and rushed out of the doors, not wanting to be late for her first day. As she left the library seemingly empty, Bakura emerged from behind a bookcase. His gentle disposition was replaced with a more stern one as he dialed numbers on his phone. He placed the phone to his ear as he wandered around the library with an attentive eye. "Yes. She just left." he confirmed, trashing a candy wrapper she idly left on the table. "She opened the envelope. Looked happy. Once she left, she made sure it was safe. Familiarity with the item confirmed. Hunch on star folder being of significant connection, success. Look into Yuka Performances." He sat where Serenity was moments ago. "Confessed the need to work is for her mother's medicine. Illness has yet to be learned. She refuses to reveal to me. She did not specify which drug so at a temporary standstill. End of report."

(:::)


	6. Chapter 6

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Six**

The moon was high over Domino that night. The light of the celestial body shone inside of the seemingly empty class room. The illumination revealed clothes littered on the floor, carelessly thrown to the linoleum. The blonde clawed at his chest, her back arching in satisfaction. Her arms flung back to the desk which she flung miscellaneous items to the ground. The documents in question failed to garner her interest at the moment. She bit her cherry red bottom lip in ecstasy. He freed one of his hands that rested on his hips and placed it on her right breast and began playing with her pale pink nipple, teasing her even more. She suppressed moans as she looked directly into his brown eyes. She pulled herself back up and grabbed a fistful of golden locks, steadily releasing sounds of pleasure and to retaliate for the chest play. He picked her up effortlessly, her still feeling him inside of her in his entirety. He pressed her against the whiteboard as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her legs clamped themselves around his waist, the feeling of him pressing against her intoxicating. He placed his face in her neck and started passionately nibbling and sucking her which made her tiniest toe curl. Everything about the encounter was wrong, they both knew. One wrong move and they could both be in a huge amount of trouble. But the feeling of being intimately together was worth it. "I-I'm about to-" she stuttered out. "I-I-I'm abou-" Her body began to twitch uncontrollably as words lodged themselves in her throat. At that same moment, he buried his face in her shoulder and tightened his grip. They both released one final grunt before collapsing on the ground, her still on top of him. She sprawled herself across his chest, both of them breathing heavily. "Now that has _got_ to be the most interesting tutoring session I've ever given." she muttered to her companion with a smirk on her face. He nodded in agreement, a plastered to his face.

She finally rose off of him after enjoying a few more moments the feel of his body. She picked up her dress and slid it back over her head with ease. He propped himself up and watched her gather her things. "So I shouldn't be expectin' this to happen again, right?" he said to her softly, realizing this couldn't continue. He was a student. She was a teacher's aide. They were breaking enough rules by being together in that way, let alone having sex in a classroom after hours. "Ya' know I really like you, Ms. Valentine. An' I don't want you lose your job cause of me."

"I think we've gone past the point of formalities like that. Call me Mai."the woman cooed playfully. She threw him his clothes, conveniently bundled up. She sat down and slid on her underwear slowly to taunt the young man. "Now it would seem that we can no longer see each other, wouldn't Mr. Whe- Joey?" He stumbled to his feet and put on his underwear. She picked up a notepad and scribbled down some select items. "Now, you will call this number. No need to play coy, we've gotten past that part already." Joey had a puzzled look on his face instantaneously. She sauntered over to him with confidence in her stride. She got on her tip toes and rested her chin on his shoulder. "What I'm saying is," she whispered into his ear, "I still want to fuck you." She continued to move past him and slip into her black heels. "I've already made sure that every door will shut behind you. I'll see you then, dear Joseph."

He stood there in only his pants, holding his shirt in the crook of his arm and holding the paper Mai had slipped into his hand. She had written down her number with a heart at the end of them. He only gave a small laugh, not knowing what he had gotten himself into.

(:::)

Serenity gave a sigh of exhaustion. She held her aching back and tried to mutter some words to comfort her. She was wearing a tight white belly v-neck shirt and an extremely short black skirt with white lace trim. Seto "strongly suggested" that she wear the outfit. She took a deep breath, held her tongue and sacrificed her dignity. She leaned against the wall in the hall leading to the front door. She was awaiting for her ride she had just buzzed for through the intercom system. She reflected her first day in the hellish Kaiba mansion. In the first hour, he had her lay in a backbend as he used her stomach as a foot rest. After that he had her clean his father's room top to bottom in the dark as Gozaburo leered at her silently. As much as it sickened her she didn't want to give up. She looked at the clock that hung in the hallway; 9:30. "This is ridiculous, but it is work." she justified with a head shake to herself. Seto agreed to pay her two hundred every two weeks, more than she'd make anywhere else. More than enough to get her mother her old medicine back, maybe even something better. Though the work was degrading, she wouldn't let Seto break her resolve. She figured that he was trying to get on her last nerve to annoy the half of the Wheeler family he had yet to conquer. But Serenity was smarter than the average girl.

She heaved her bag over her shoulder as she heard footsteps come down the dimly lit hall. It was revealed that it was Mokuba, dangling keys in his hand. "Looks like I'm taking you home tonight, Serenity." She gave a short gasp and gave a small bow. "Come on, that's not necessary. You're the same age as me. Just because you work at my house doesn't mean you have to bow to me." Nervously she gave another and muttered an apology. Mokuba gave a small smile and sighed. "I think it's just second nature for you at this point."

"I can't help it. I do work for your family. It'd be disrespectful otherwise. And I mean, I don't want to be a bother. I can take the bus, I don't know why I pressed the intercom." Mokuba was baffled at her attitude of complete servitude towards him. The two had barely been in contact before that very moment. She kept more to herself around him and he was always in separate social circles. Not like the ones Seto placed himself into, based on financial wellness, but in athletic groups. However, he had always been intrigued by her. Drawn to her by her silence.

"I was heading out for the night anyway." he assured her. He grabbed her bag from her and heaved it over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you home."

(:::)

Duke sat in his room, leaning against his headboard with a look of disappointment on his face. His phone was buzzing next to him on and on, missing text messages and calls from Rebecca. He had subsequently attempted to end all contact with her due to her state of chastity. Upon personal inspection earlier in the evening, Duke verified his previous thought; Rebecca Hawkins was not a virgin. She confessed to him after he failed to find her virginal seal. She had lost it a few weeks before school had began to a man who didn't know her real age as she toured Domino's night life. He said plainly that he didn't want to be with a girl who had already had her innocence taken from her, hoping it would offend her enough to not want to speak to him again. Duke misinterpreted the girl completely. She had fallen recklessly in love with Duke it had seemed and now was pawing at him like a lost puppy. "This is sad." he sighed as his phone began to buzz again for the twentieth time in that last five minutes. His fetish was just unfulfilled with Rebecca. Now Serenity was the perfect example of what he wanted to dominate. Though he was impressed that Seto actually got farther than he and Marik, Duke sustained a pang of jealousy. Especially since he was in need of a new conquest.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off over his head. A smirk quickly graced his face as he picked up the phone for the first time to the needy teenage girl. "Duke!" Rebecca exclaimed in utter joy. "Duke, I'm so glad you picked up. I'm so sorry! I should have told you earlier. I'll do anything to get you back!"

Just as he had suspected. "Anything?"

* * *

**A/N: Hey! This is B. Shenanigans (B for short. Or Shenanigans, whatever suits your fancy)! I'm formerly Neko Catalyst. Don't worry, I'm still the same girl! Wow, I got two chapters out preeeetty quick! If I'm lucky, I'll try to pump another one out by the end of this week. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Tell me, dear readers. Review your itty bitty hearts out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Seven**

Mokuba passed her and walked through the door and Serenity scurried behind him, hanging her head. She was always embarrassed when she was offered some form of help from people. She felt like others didn't think she could stand on her own two feet. But it seemed that Mokuba wouldn't take no for an answer. As they went down the massive amount of steps, Mokuba looked back at her then immediately forward again, a tinge of pink on his cheeks. He didn't see her outfit as well inside as he could out in the brightly lit courtyard. "What's that get up Seto's got you in?" he asked shyly. In all of his years being in class with her, he had never noticed the curves she couldn't hide at that moment. Her long flawless legs drew the most attention, retaining elegance in every movement she made. It took everything in him not to keep staring. Serenity also gave a small blush. She didn't realize how truly naked she was until Mokuba addressed her attire. "N-Not that it looks bad on you or anything, it just seems a little..lacking of material is all." He removed his black jacket and gave it to her. "It's chilly out here, you could catch a cold or something." It left him in a black loose fitting top. Already knowing that he wouldn't accept her objection, she put on the article of clothing around her. "You know you don't have to do everything he says, Serenity. He's just being a jerk. He's my brother and I love him and everything but you're human being."

The two approached his vehicle, a beat up blue Jeep Chevrolet which was out of place among the foreign sports cars and luxury modes of transportation. Mokuba liked his rather ragged Jeep. It was dependable and strayed from the Kaiba idealism that everything must be big, bold and flashy. He liked his simple car. "Well it's not like I'm in a position to really negotiate. It's not bad conditions, honestly. I can cope." she said, nodding her head lazily, possibly out of habit. She slid into the torn leather seat with ease and gave the door a firm pull. "But thanks for worrying about me."

Mokuba started the engine and began to pull out the gates that surrounded the whole mansion. "So why are you working for Seto? I'm sure you could find employment somewhere else. You're smart and resourceful. Your presentations were always fun to watch."

Serenity had a sudden solemn look on her face. Mokuba could feel her mood become sullen. "My mom is a good woman. No matter her past. She did what she had to do to support me and Joey." Mokuba arched an eyebrow, curious of the mention of her mother. "After my dad was out of the picture, things got harder. Meals seemed thinner by the day. The landlord became public enemy number one. But suddenly when my mom would stay out later, we'd have a little extra money. I may have been young but I put pieces together as a grew up." Serenity took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her clasped hands nearly grew white due to her holding them so tight. "My mom..had sex with people for money. She'd leave me and Joey alone for hours as we slept as she worked the dark corners of the city that chewed us up and spit us out. Well, in that line of work, you don't get medical benefits. My mother was unlucky enough to contract the HIV virus from one of her clients with a secret he hid. And that's a very hard illness to manage alone. She met Peter. He wasn't suppose to stick around..but he did. He takes care of us. But I took this job because his job isn't as lucrative, so to speak, anymore. And we had to switch my mom to another medicine that has really bad side effects. So I need to help her. So the emotional abuse, the snide remarks. Only brings me closer to making my mom feel better." Mokuba tried to seem focused on the road but found it a daunting task after what he just heard. "God, that felt good to say. I haven't told anyone that since...Bakura, was it? Years ago."

Mokuba was honored that Serenity decided to share that story with him. She even seemed more relaxed in the seat, less stiff and more comfortable in the seat next to him. "It's not like I don't appreciate it, Serenity. But why'd you tell me?"

"Trizivir." she said simply. "I found it when I was cleaning your father's room. Some of the most expensive medicine to treat HIV. I thought you may understand." Mokuba stiffened. His father was also afflicted with the virus. "It's harder to talk to someone who can't relate to the situation completely. It's not like the common cold, where everyone has it once in awhile. You can bounce back from that. But this..not as easy."

Mokuba nodded, understanding completely. The car stopped at a light. He turned to her and grabbed her hand with genuine emotion. "Thanks for telling me that. Really." Serenity flashed her signature smile at him. She gave him a peck on the cheek, causing his face to redden. "W-What was that for?"

She gave a small giggle and gave his hand a tiny squeeze. It was her second time alone with a boy that her brother didn't approve of. Serenity decided she wanted to put her pinky toe over the edge. "Just cause."

(:::)

Somehow Duke managed to smooth talk his way into letting Rebecca go through with what he wanted. They were in a dimly lit room decorated with elaborate graffiti. Rebecca winced as she squeezed Duke's hand. She gnawed at her bottom lip to try and ease the pain. Her legs were spread open in front a stranger and she was forced to take what he gave her. "This r-really hurts, Duke." she whimpered between grunts of discomfort.

"It's because you're tensing up so bad, just relax." Duke assured her. "You're loyal to me, right?" She nodded quickly with no forethought. "Then it should be worth it. It's almost over anyway."

She looked down and the burly stranger gave a small sound to confirm what Duke said. "All finished. You did good, kid." Rebecca examined what he'd down. A tribal 'D' was now tattooed on her inner thigh. "Now I'm gonna bandage it. You take it off in about an hour or two. I'll give you something to put on it three times a day. It'll be fully healed in two weeks. No swimming, no picking at the scar."

Rebecca understood. He got up and left the room briefly. She quickly turned towards Duke with gigantic puppy dog eyes. He knew what she was waiting for. "Yes, you've proven yourself. You have my mark on you. You are forgiven." She gave a sharp gasp in excitement. She stuck her tongue out, newly pierced at Duke's request, panting like a dog. He gave her a kiss as a treat. "Now you know what you have to do next, yes?" She nodded furiously. He gave a smirk. "Good." He patted her head has she accepted her role as his pet.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's been awhile. I'm employed now. BLECK. But anywayzers...thanks for the reviews from everyone! Keep review: keeps me motivated, keeps me smiling. Have a nice day to all.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge."_

**Chapter Eight**

The school bell had rang that Monday, letting every student know that their weekend was officially over and classes were once again in session. Serenity had been walking by Rebecca, who was glued to the hip of Duke, and Bakura. Rebecca had chosen to remain quiet because it was difficult for her to speak. Serenity grew fairly curious about the two's relationship. She could see Rebecca losing herself in him but there was nothing she could do. Serenity has heard of the destructive powers of love through her passed and he gave a light smile. She gave one back and immediately ducked down her head. Serenity had agreed to see Mokuba the next evening when she got off of work. They had went out on a real date, one where pulled out her chair, paid for her food and invited her to waltz before dessert. It was something she wasn't used to. It made her uneasy. She had lied to her brother saying she was with Rebecca that very evening. He kissed her goodnight afterwards. She pressed her books closer to her chest, cringing at the stare she could feel from him as she walked by. She didn't know what was harder; lying to her brother about a date with a Kaiba or lying to her family about working for Kaiba. "So how was your weekend Serenity? Do anything interesting?" Bakura inquired, breaking her from her train of thought suddenly. She began to stammer, not being able to compile words. Her scrambled thoughts caused her to collide with the older Kaiba.

She went down to the floor with Kaiba's iced coffee spilling all over her white top. The hallway rung with gasps. Marik, who was accompanying Kaiba, could not help but stare at Serenity's now see through top. Realizing Marik was not the only one giving her extended gazes, she quickly covered herself and got up on her feet. The laughs erupted as ran down the hall. Joey saw his sister with shame on her face and quickly moved to blame Kaiba. "'Ey Kaiba! What'd you do to my baby sister! She's heading to da bathroom in tears. You gonna pay fa' this one, you sonofa-"

Duke quickly pushed Rebecca in front Kaiba and almost caused her face to be decimated by Joey's fist. He stopped himself just short of hitting her. She stood in front of Kaiba with no flinching at Joey's impending punch. Joey stared at her for a moment. Her devotion to where Duke put her puzzled him. He slowly put his arm down and backed away from the scene. Duke had a malicious grin on his face as he pulled Rebecca close to him. "Good girl." he smirked, kissing her forehead. Rebecca smiled as she nuzzled into his chest. Other students walked away, losing interest in the altercation. Duke and Rebecca stayed in the middle of the hallway. They had hardly noticed their companions slipped away with the crowd. "Stick your tongue out for me." She did so with no hesitance. "Still pretty swollen. I bet your tattoo is still tender. And that exhibition of courage with Joey. You've shown me your willingness to sacrifice your physical self for me. You're the best slave a guy could ask for. I'll even walk you to class." She grabbed his hand happily and continued down the hall with her 'boyfriend'.

(:::)

Serenity was in the bathroom alone, staring into the mirror trying to furiously trying to clean her shirt in the sink. She had removed it in order to effectively cleanse the blouse. Serenity stood in her white bra, also coffee stained, and blue pleated skirt. She bit her bottom lip in determination. The rushing water and the constant scrubbing was the only sound that filled her ears. She knew she would be late for class, which upset her, but she was slightly contented in the fact that she could get back in her teacher's good graces by turning in her thoroughly completed homework. She suddenly felt cold hands on her hips which cause her to release a yelp. She looked up in the mirror and saw cold blue eyes in the reflection. Her arms were about to jump up and cover her bare body. "Don't." he coldly ordered into her ear. She stopped immediately and let her arms descend back down to her sides. He rested his chin in the crook of her neck. "Now how can you possibly be Wheeler spawn? Your skin, free of blemishes and soft to the touch. Your face, elegantly sculpted and your shape is one that provokes a man." His fingers danced along her hips. Serenity was shaking with fear. "Why are you shivering? There's nothing wrong here." He pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and moistened it in the still running water. "I'm just helping you clean yourself off." He gently glided the improvised washcloth over the top of her breasts. She took in sharp breath. "Now are you not stopping me because you're my employee or because you enjoy this, Puppy?" Serenity was too stunned to give a response. This was the first time she was ever touched in such a manner by anyone. And yet he was there embracing her in that way. She could only think back on her night with Mokuba and how he did nothing of the sort with her. She wished if she could be back at that night. His hand slipped into her bra, his hand taking hold of her left breast. Shutting her eyes and screaming she jumped out of his grasp.

Seto was actually shocked that she escaped him. She stared him down as she cover herself. "You may be my employer but I am still a human being. You can't treat me like that, Kaiba!" Serenity yelled very suddenly. Realizing her outburst, she quickly bowed. "I am sorry. But just because you believe me to be an animal, I am not." Seto gave a smirk, impressed with her ability to stand up for herself. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Which made things more interesting. Serenity couldn't read the look on his face. "I'm not fired, am I?''

"Don't bring that attitude and you might be." he muttered before he disappeared out of the bathroom as quickly as he came in. She stood alone in silence trying to comprehend what was happening.

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**A/N: Short? Yes. Most of the chapters in this series will be short. I mentioned that when it was first previewed in But A Fleeting Illness. I'm also working on my first supernatural/vampire Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction. Beating a dead horse? Maybe. But you don't have to read it.**

**I REALLYREALLYREALLY wuv reviews.  
**

**NEXT CHAPTER: Mai and Serenity's heart to heart. Bakura attends a secret meeting. Marik makes his move.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge._

Serenity crept into the room as the students filed out, excited to go home after a long week of school. Mai was clearing the board of the notes she had written during the class after procuring all of them into her class notebook. Serenity couldn't help but give her a once over. She understood why Joey was so obsessed with her, she was truly stunning. She was wearing a simple pale pink button down shirt and a white skirt yet she was still so beautiful. She began gnawing at her lip, unsure how to approach the conversation she had mimicked several times in her head. The moment she decided to turn around, she was stopped with Mai finally speaking. "You know I've known you were here the whole time." Serenity froze and slowly turned back towards a grinning Mai. "I'm not one for forcing someone to speak so you can still walk away. However, due to your commitment by standing so long I'm pretty sure whatever is on your mind is pretty important." Serenity only bit her lip even harder as Mai's word's only made her even more nervous. It had been a few days after her altercation with Seto and was still afraid how to approach it. Even though she was afraid that she would suffer at work she was pleased to see she was quite wrong. Seto didn't even make her wear the demeaning outfit from before anymore and allowed her to work in her school clothing. He also didn't make her do anything other than clean so she was no longer required to be used as furniture. He hasn't even looked her way since he last spoke to her after she rejected him. But Serenity could still feel his hands on her body, forceful and passionate, as if shaping her stomach into knots.

"Ms. Valentine, I guess I can say I'm having boy troubles." Serenity eased out, taking a seat at the nearest desk. Mai sat adjacent from her, prepared to listen. "I went out with this guy. And he's a sweetheart, perfectly perfect. I went out on my first date with him and it was absolutely lovely. But my brother doesn't like his family. And his brother doesn't particularly like my family. But I'm pretty sure he likes me? Well, he stares at me and tries to touch me. Well, not lately. So I'm confused on how to feel about that as well."

"Tries to touch you?" she said hesitantly. "Is it in a good way or…? Because I'm no guidance counselor, Serenity. I'm just not prepared for that kind of-"

"No!" Serenity interrupted. "I mean, yes? I mean..I don't know! It's very confusing. I haven't even been kissed really. And it's all very confusing! Oh wait, I said confusing twice. But it-"

A text message came through on Mai's phone as Serenity barely begun her sentence. She glanced down at it quickly and looked back up with a firm smirk. "Serenity, I'm ever so flattered you came to me. Matters of the heart are delicate. But you seem like a smart and careful girl. You know what I always say? When life gives you sin you've got to indulge. Well, at least some of the time. So take a chance dear. Go for what you want. I know I'm about to." Mai gave a wink and stood, straightening out her skirt. She patted Serenity on the shoulder as she exited the room with a newfound pep in her step.

Serenity plopped down on the desk headfirst. "Indulge." Serenity whispered to herself. Though her time speaking to Mai was brief, it spoke volumes in her mind.

(:::)

The room was bright with black lights as the two boys were on the couch, still in their school uniforms, sitting lazily. Rebecca was in pink lace underwear, dancing in front of Duke seductively. She winked at him, spun around and blew kisses his way at the beat of the music. He gave a smile when he saw the flash of her tattoo. She then pressed her body against his and leaned in close to his ear. "Can I have a bump, baby? Did I earn one?" She pulled away as he gave a gentle nod and a kiss on her forehead. Excited, she went to the coffee table and set up a line of cocaine for herself.

"You are the master of addiction and obsession, aren't you? I'm starting to believe it's a legitimate art." Bakura said, shocked thinly laced. Duke had introduced the girl into the vicious world of drug use. He had started when she was still seen as a conquest even though she's turned into minion. "I haven't seen that girl away from you since you two begun."

"What can I say, I'm an arTEEST." Duke said with a smile. "Anyway, let's get to the point. Rebecca, as of now, knows nothing about Serenity's mother's illness. But you did look into Yuka Performances, right?"

"Yes, turns out it was a huge call center. They were widely successful, only to be bought out to by Kaiba Corp. This isn't surprising because at the time of Yuka's takeover, Kaiba Corp was grabbing anything they could. However, turns out Serenity's mother worked at this particular industry, I spoke with the former CEO. He said that Ms. Wheeler would always bring her kids in with her on the weekends. She'd have them play with company items like pens and blocks with the name on it and coasters. Anything she could get her hands on to entertain them for a few hours. Doesn't know what happened after the company shut down. I'm assuming she's sick with something permanent like cancer? Still unsure. Since Serenity has been working at the Kaiba Mano-"

Duke nearly spit out the wine he was sipping. "Working? For Kaiba!" he shouted. Bakura nodded. "And you didn't inform me about this earlier! What the hell do I pay you for? I'll tell you now; it's not to jerk me around!"

"Oh, please. Do you think I'm completely bonkers? Now I know for a fact you don't read the files I send to you. I told you as soon as I knew in the report." Bakura said in a deadpan fashion. Duke settled himself and allowed Bakura to continue. "Since Serenity's new employment, our friendship has taken quite the toll. But I'm making an attempt to reestablish myself as a companion. The younger Kaiba has been close to her; however, he barely proves a threat."

"I still want that examined; I don't want to take chances. All the Kaiba clan is full of conniving bastards and that runt is no different." Duke lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "I want her. I just need Kaiba to soften her up."

"But I have a question for you, sir." Duke turned towards his spy and raised an eyebrow. Bakura swallowed the spit in his mouth hard. "Why do you do this?"

Duke looked down and gave a laugh. "I can buy anything. But I can't buy human dignity." Duke looked at Bakura with a sadistic look in his eye. "I can't put that on my credit card and have it shipped here. I can't purchase that, put that in my hand and crush it. But when you have a girl like that," he nodded towards Rebecca, "in your hand and can just _crush her spirit_. That is priceless. And Serenity is the epitome of the kind of innocence I want. The kind I want oozing over my knuckles because she is the closest thing this shit world is going to get to an angel." Bakura held a stern face but his stomach turned at Duke's words. "Rebecca! Come." The girl crawled to him and into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. "You know what I'm paying you for. Give me _what I want_."

(:::)

Marik kissed Téa on her cheek at her doorstep. As he pulled away, he noticed her eyes were closed and her lips pursed. Marik couldn't help but give a small smile at her goofy face. "Expecting more, I take it?" he inquired. Her eyes widened in shock and she hung her head as her face turned red. He took the moment to look over her. She was wearing a dark colored floral print tent dress and brown boots. She was so plain yet she was still so beautiful to him. He gently took her chin in his palm and brought her face up. He grinned at her and brought his lips against hers. He felt his heart jump in his chest as she caressed his arm and brought him closer. She reluctantly broke this kiss. With a whisper goodnight, she walked into her home.

Marik couldn't help but stare at the door. He wanted her to come back out because he already missed the smell of her close to him. He had never felt this way about a girl he was supposed to be manipulating. Especially with a girl he had never even looked twice at before. He walked back to his car dumbfounded. Téa. Téa fucking Gardner was the one girl he'd have actual feelings for. He was laughing at himself because it was so unfathomable. He slunk into his car as his phone vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket and rolled his eyes. He received text from Duke, asking to meet over his house to plan for a party the next week. He knew he'd ask about his progress with Téa. He didn't want to share that. He was falling for her. There was no more working to ruin her, it was working to be with her. But his stature with Duke and Seto were important. He founded these sick games, they were apart of him.

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**A****/N: Heeeeyy guuuuuyys. If any of my original peoples are here, thanks for your patience. My time away was ROUGH. I started working, I got kicked out, my boyfriend left forthe military. SO. I haven't had much time to write. I actually had the series completed...on the computer that is now gone in the household I was kicked out of. Clean slate. Starting over. I love reviews. And your faces. :D**_  
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	10. Chapter 10

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge._

Joey walked in as the clock struck midnight. He knew what to do down to the letter since this was a routine he had been following for the last week. He gently placed his bag down by the door and turned the lock quietly. He slipped out of his shoes with the grace of a church mouse. With no words but 'home free' in his mind, he stopped dead in his tracks at the flick of a light switch. Joey muttered an obscenity under his breath as he looked into the eyes of Peter who had a stern, disciplinary look on his face despite the fact he was wearing Gundam pajamas. "'Ay Pete, what are you doin' up at this hour?" he said in a fabricated concerned tone. "It's kinda late and you ain't gettin' young-"

"Who's the girl, Joe?" Peter interrupted, not interested in hearing him stumble his way to an excuse. "And don't tell me you were down at the shop because when I called down there, _three hours ago_, Doc told me you didn't even come in today. And if you were out with Yugi or Tristan, you wouldn't have neglected to let me know and creep in at this ungodly hour. So please, enlighten me on who the girl is you're running with?"

Joey was confused on how to approach the question. Peter could see a lie through him in a heartbeat and didn't even know enough girls to say anything different. "M-Mai Valentine." he stammered. Joey hung his head in shame and fear. "Her name is Mai Valentine. And she's not just some girl, Pete, she's-"

"Do her parents know about this?" Peter questioned. "The sneaking around at night with you, do you realize you came in at three in the morning yesterday? She has to have school in the morning too. It's a damn Thursday, for Christ's sake! Matter of fact, I'm going over there. Give me her address." Joey popped his head up, shaking it 'no' firmly. "Joseph, do NOT make me yell because both your sister and your mother are sound asleep. Just give me her address, I'll talk to her parents, and this will be cleared up before I have to tell your mother."

Joey's heart was in his throat. Even though Peter going to Mai's to discover she's not exactly in high school was horrible, letting his mother knowing about his afterhours endeavors was worse. With a heart full of preliminary regret, he sat at the kitchen table and wrote Mai's address on the back of a spam envelope. Peter snatched it as he finished the final letter. "I'll be back. Get to sleep; you have school in the morning." He ran into his bedroom to change clothes. Joey opened his phone and sent a feverish text to Mai, giving her a heads up and began to pray that she received the message.

(:::)

Rebecca's hands were shaking incredibly as she used her school ID to separate the coke on her health book. "Yeah, I'm okay." she said in a rushed fashion. "Yes, I've eaten. I have been eating, don't think I haven't been. I'll be home tomorrow, promise. Bye." After ending the call she threw the phone away from her so she didn't have to hear it again. She had told her parents she was spending the night at Serenity's, a lie that had been frequently used. She was wearing Duke's red jacket over her naked body as she eagerly snorted the line she had made. She slung her body back onto his bed and grinned. She loved the feeling of supremacy she felt as the substance hit her system. Her hands began to explore her own body amidst her high.

"Duke!" she called loudly, her hand slipping between her legs. She teased herself and then called his name again. She released a loud moan to get his attention. His parents were out of town and the only people there were the staff, Marik and Seto. She stood up and sauntered to the door, a confident pep in her step. Her nose followed the smell of cigarettes and her ears trailed the soft music. She spread her arms and walked in a straight line as if on a balance beam and slowly moved towards the room down the hall. "_Don't tell me not to fly…I've simply got to._" Rebecca softly sung as she grew closer to the door. "_If someone takes a spill…it's me and not you. Who told you you're allowed to rain on mmmmmyyy parade?_"

She then was in the doorway. All three stopped and stared at her body, everything perfect and tight in all the right places; smooth and soft, just by its appearance. Duke turned towards Marik and muttered something out of Rebecca's earshot. Don't Rain On My Parade was still playing her mind as it normally did when she took a bump. Marik's face seemed something close to terrified. He stood abruptly and stormed out of the room, not giving a second glance towards Rebecca, Duke or Seto. Rebecca heard the song increase in tempo and took the opportunity to go in the middle of the room and do spins. "_Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer" I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer. Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade._" she sung out, continuously spinning. Her smile grew wider and wider the faster she went. The dizziness didn't hit until she felt Duke's hands on her hips, stopping her completely. His face moved back and forth while she was still standing still. The speed didn't die down as her vision grew darker.

(:::)

Mokuba was lying in bed in his black boxers, flipping through pictures on his phone with a silly grin on his face. He and Serenity had taken pictures the few times they had gone out. He kept flipping back to a picture of Serenity when they went out to dinner. She was looking down and laughing, trying to cover her face. She had told him that the white off the shoulder top was her mother's. It showed just enough skin to entice him but still managed to be conservative. And her laugh, that laugh in particular, kept echoing in his head. It was the purest he had ever heard her and was forever grateful that he caught that moment on his phone. Ever since that ride home he gave Serenity from her first day, it's the only thing that's preoccupied his mind. He never realized how sweet she was and when she smiled at him, he felt like he could take on the world. It was two in the morning and all he could do was look at her smile.

(:::)

"So you're trying to tell me my stepson hasn't been sneaking around with some girl. He's been sneaking around with his teacher?" Peter said slowly, trying to comprehend every aspect of the sentence. He was sitting at the table in Mai's apartment across from her, using his hands to prop his head up. Without them he would have face planted when she first explained who she was. He avoided looking at her directly because her attire was less than conservative. When she answered the door he was overtaken by her appearance. She was in pink lingerie, every curve out for show. Her curly blonde hair was in a neat bun which flattered her collarbone. He looked up and down, staying somewhere between her bra and panties. It only grew more awkward when he asked if her parents were home. Before they sat down, she put on a white silk robe that stopped just at her knees. She then proceeded to explain what Joey had failed to mention; how she was not the 18 year girl he perceived her to be but she was actually twenty-three and taught him during his first period.

"In my defense, I'm a student teacher." Mai muttered a feeble attempt to defend her side of the story. Peter gave a halfhearted chuckle, running his fingers through his hair to calm himself. "I mean this may not be the greatest of news to you but Joey _is _eighteen. And though there are several ethical issues with it, we're both consenting adults. From what Joey tells me, a relationship between a younger man and older woman shouldn't surprise you." Peter finally looked her in the eye as he noticed the change in her tone. "Joey shared a lot with me. He also didn't fail to mention his mother's condition and how kind you are to look after of her and Serenity. I think it's quite," she stood up and walked towards him with a smirk on her face, "admirable." His head stayed straight forward. Being born and raised in America taught him how to spot a temptress. She guided her hand up his arm and gripped his shoulder. "And you're so young. What are you, twenty-four?" Mai began to massage his shoulders tenderly which only made him stiffen even more.

Peter didn't know how to accept the affection. He hadn't felt another woman other than Haruko touch him intimately in so long that he was getting goose bumps. "T-Twenty-three." he said with caution. "Haruko and I met when I was eighteen on a trip here to Domino. Never went back. We found out she was sick on my twentieth birthday."

"Eighteen, wow, that was a wild age." Mai reminisced. "I was drinking from beer bongs and dancing with seniors at frat parties while you were taking care of a woman with two kids in her thirties." Peter twitched, not knowing how to respond to her. She was right; he had sacrificed a good part of his youth for a woman who had gone through most of life's experiences already. "Funny how life works, isn't it? We're the same exact age and we went different directions at the first sign of adulthood." Her hands began to roam down his chest where she could feel his pounding heart. She gave a playful giggle. "Tell me, Peter. Ever since Haruko got the news, have you guys had sex?"

Peter nearly choked on the spit welling up in his mouth. Mai's highly decorated studio apartment was his main distraction, looking at every expensive art piece in order to get out his words. He felt the need to focus on anything but her hands moving across his body. "Not at all. She made me get tested the next day then six months afterwards to make sure I didn't have HIV and we haven't had sex since. Everything but and even that was in scarcity."

With the elegance of a gazelle she straddled in a mere moment. She shed the robe and let it fall behind her. She could feel his manhood twitch against her. Peter shut his eyes in an effort to ignore what was happening. "Your body is in such fine condition and so ignored. It's a shame, really." Her fingers caressed his face, teasing his flesh. "You can't that be out of touch with this. Come on, touch me." Peter slowly opened his eyes and found her lips locked against his. She slid her tongue inside of his mouth effortlessly. Peter was frozen, completely confused on what to do. Mai broke this kiss and looked into his eyes once more. "Just close your eyes. I'll do the rest." She began to kiss him again while slowly grinding against him. Images flashed in his head, images of Haruko and him together. Images of her and her family she graciously shared with him. Images he didn't find worth tainting. He had begun to sit up before Mai gave a plop onto his lap to make him remain in his place. "I'll pay you." she spat out. Peter's eyebrow rose, not fully comprehending what he had just heard. "Look, I'm a trust fund kid. I'm more than well off, I really want to fuck you and I know you need to money so just sit down and let me do all of the work, like I assured you before." Peter was still frozen at the offer. Mai leant in close to her ear and whispered softly, "It wouldn't be the worse way to make three hundred bucks. And there's always room for a tip." Grazing her lips across his cheek, she began to kiss him again. After another moment of reluctant consideration, he kissed back.

(:::)

Serenity went into her locker and put away her books for the day. She and Mokuba had planned to go out after school. Mai's words were bouncing back and forth in her head. She didn't know if she liked Mokuba more than a friend. The distance Seto was objecting her two was equally confusing. She somehow missed the catcalls and the idle brief encounters. And even more enticing was the fact of hiding it from her big brother, who bore nothing but hate towards both of them. As she closed her locker door, she was surprised to see Rebecca at her locker. Her eyes had dark circles around them and her uniform was in complete disarray. She licked her lips slowly, showing off her pink tongue ring. She could see her black bra because so much of her shirt was unbuttoned and she hadn't even bothered to put on socks. She had cut her hair incredibly short, in vast difference from its lengthy glory from before. "Hey, stranger, how have you been?" Rebecca cooed pulling Serenity in for a forceful hug. Serenity gave a cringe at the smell of her. She stunk of cigarettes and sweat. "Word is you and the little Kaiba are an item. True or false?" She pressed her body against the lockers and moved her body like a cat in heat. She hadn't seen Rebecca without Duke beside her in so long she hadn't even realized the drop in her appearance.

"This is the first time you talk to me without Duke around for weeks and the first thing you want to talk about is the hot gossip surrounding my relationship that may or may not exist?" Serenity said with a small laugh, trying to ease the thick of awkward in the air. "Hi Rebecca, it's nice to see that you're not literally attached to Duke at the hip. What did you score in English?"

"Come on, Serenity! I'm just curious, is all." Rebecca pouted and folded her arms. "And you're right, we don't hang anymore. But there's this party that Duke is throwing this weekend, and it's going to be super awesome and you should be in attendance!" Serenity twisted her face a bit. Duke gave her a queasy feeling. His eyes felt painful on her and she always felt them moving all over her body. "Bring Mokuba. It'll be tons of fun, I promise. Pretty pretty pleassssse?" Serenity gave a sigh. She had never been to a party before and wasn't sure how Mokuba would feel on taking her instead of going on their outing. Not to mention she was preemptively weary on Joey's position on the matter. "Just give me a call, okay? I gotta run!" She darted of quickly around the corner, leaving Serenity to ponder.

As she began towards the door, she heard footsteps coming to approach her. She turned to the source, expecting it to be Mokuba. Her smile soon turned to a look of confusion when she saw Seto Kaiba storm her way. Her words were caught in her throat. She hadn't seen him outside of him giving her paycheck in so long and even that require little to no eye contact. "Kai-" She was promptly silenced when he began to kiss her deeply. Serenity's eyes were wide in shock, not knowing how to react. She felt him slam her body into a nearby locker with the sheer force of passion in his kiss. Losing herself for a moment, she began to kiss him back to the best of her abilities. Her hands found their way to his hair and gave a playful tug instinctively. She finally closed her eyes and let him completely overtake her. Noticing the change in her demeanor, Kaiba broke the kiss and ended the encounter.

"For someone who isn't an animal, you sure reacted like a bitch in heat." Seto said viciously before turning and walking away. Serenity was still breathing heavily and subsequently fell to her knees from emotional exhaustion. She wasn't the only one in a state of puzzlement. Mokuba had watched the whole ordeal from the other side of the hallway. He didn't understand why Serenity just let him touch her like that. Seto was a dark individual and Serenity was so sweet, it didn't make any sense to him. Before he could choke on his racing heartbeat, he left the hallway quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Indulgence**

_"When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge._

Téa and Marik were experiencing a dying laughter, one that had finally calmed down after several minutes. The two sat on the hillside, staring at the moon hung over Domino. Marik had only just noticed that they had been there since the afternoon when the sun was in the sky. He looked at his watch; 8:30. He looked over at his company with nothing less than a satisfied smile. Téa was sporting a black tri-tiered skirt and a loose pale blue top and an equally happy grin. As the air between them turned silent, she took the opportunity to 'discreetly' move towards Marik and put her head on his shoulder. They both shivered at contact. Marik felt like a scared virgin all over again with the way his stomach would knot up after even the graze of skin between them. After a moment he used to get over the shock, he slid his right arm out of his hoodie and put the excess clothing over her shoulder as well. He had given himself a proud metaphorical pat on the back for wearing his only oversized hoodie. She scooted a little closer so that his chin was resting on top of her head. His arm instinctively went around her waist. "You know girls would say terrible things about you, Marik." Téa admitted. "How you're nothing but a player and try to unbutton pants by the end of the first date. And you know what? I'm glad I didn't listen." His smile transformed into a frown and his heart skipped a beat. How was he supposed to say, 'I am that horrible person and you shouldn't be around me because you're perfect'? Or the less reasonable, 'I was but you've changed me'? That didn't even work in movies he'd seen. As he began to open his mouth with the truth, Téa beat him to the punch. "And I'm sure everybody refers to me as 'That Geeky Prude Girl That Hangs with Yugi'. But just like I took a chance on you, you took one on me. You could be surrounded by the most elegant girls at school and you chose to be with me." She turned up towards him, now laying her head in his lap.

Marik couldn't help but smile as she looked right up at him with her tender blue eyes. "I _am _here with the most elegant girl at school." Téa gave a playful punch to him and closed her eyes as she snuggled in his lap. The moment of peace was ruined as he felt his phone vibrate. He already knew who it was from and had no desire to answer it. It was Duke alerting him about his party that same evening. Marik, as he is the co-host, was supposed to be there much earlier. But when Téa asked him to hang out, he couldn't help but take the opportunity.

He knew what was expected of him through the terms of the games. He was to take Téa's innocent demeanor in his hands and crush it using whatever humiliating means necessary. But the feeling of her in his arms was too powerful to want to harm her. His reputation, his only true companion and accustomed way of life were at risk for her. He ran his hand through her auburn hair. He could tell she was beginning to fall asleep. He wanted nothing but to lay there with her and enter an ethereal world of wonder alongside her. But in order to keep her safe, he would have to go to the party and act in a 'business-as-usual' fashion. He gave another long sigh. He had a long night ahead of him.

(:::)

The shower failed to wash away the feeling of his hands on her body. She'd been in there an hour and gone through what seemed like three bars of soap. The hot water had long been depleted yet Serenity hadn't even noticed the change. She felt undeniably sick. Kaiba's words kept echoing in her head. "I can't believe it. 'A bitch in heat'." she whispered to herself over and over. That Serenity was a stranger to her. The feverish lust that was in her at the moment was foreign to her sweet demeanor. Her body twitched at the memory and her stomach churned at the thought. And the fact that she had to see him again in a few hours made her even more unsettled. Duke and Seto were friends so of course he would be in attendance. She wanted to call and talk it over with someone, anyone. But it was too embarrassing to discuss her emotions. At the end of the day, she couldn't deny the part of her that enjoyed it. Just going over it in her mind caused her to get sexually ignited. During her shift at work, she couldn't even bring herself to be in the same room as him for more than a few moments without wanting to touch him again. Without even completely realizing it she was tracing along the places his hands were slowly. Her hands found themselves groping her breasts firmly. Imagining that it was Kaiba in her mind, she was brought down to her knees and released a soft whimper. With that sound snapping her back to reality, she swiftly stopped and turned off the water. Serenity gathered the strength to get up and dry off with the towel. After finishing her body, she realized that there was music coming from outside the bathroom. Music was never blared throughout the house for her mother's sake.

Wrapping a towel around her wet hair, she went out the door. It was definitely a song she was unfamiliar with. While trying to determine the source, a loud wail from Peter cut in; "I'm a loser, baby! So why don't you kill me!" She followed his voice to the living room. There she did indeed find Peter, sitting on the couch with his face down and a scowl. He had his shirt off and was wearing blue jeans. She had never seen Peter like that, so somber as if someone had died. Before Serenity could back away, he finally acknowledged her presence and tried to gather himself amidst the shock. "Serenity! I had assumed you went with your mom and Joey to the PTA thing tonight, I'm sorry." He swiftly gathered himself and turned off the music. "I-it's Beck. Loser. It's one of my favorite songs. I always play it when I'm feeling kind of low, you know." Serenity gave a fast nod. "You need a ride to Rebecca's tonight? I need to clear my head any-"

"No, I'm fine. Her parents will come get me." Serenity blurted. Peter gave a weak smile and exited to the kitchen. Though Serenity wondered what plagued Peter's mind, she had her own problems to correct.

(:::)

Bakura stood at the sink in the bathroom, looking at himself in the cracked mirror with a scowl. He couldn't tell Duke the full story on Serenity, not a chance. He wondered how long he could feign not knowing information without Duke catching on. Duke wanted to destroy Serenity's very nature but, even though the paycheck was huge, he didn't know if he could pull something off that despicable. He loved her like his own sister and to think of her being crushed like that sickened him. But then he turned around and looked at his bed, full of bills. His house was a hovel on a good day. His father was gone and his sister was dead. Serenity was the closest thing he had to family left. He gave a sigh.

He looked at himself in the mirror and felt as if someone else was looking back at him. It was a figure he was familiar with. It was him; A darker him that only existed in the depths of his mind and his name was Yami. The violent violet eyes glared at him. "You're a weakling." Yami snarled at him. Bakura couldn't turn away from him; he was locked in to take the impending emotional bruising. "You are a man. And a man must do what it takes to survive. Now you're going to let some bitch jeopardize your life? You and your pathetic emotions! Now, are you going to do what it takes?" Bakura knew he was messed up in the head. Talking to a darker version of himself was clearly unhealthy. But it was something he was now accustomed to. Bakura nodded to Yami and turned around as the eyes faded. Bakura plopped on his bed, amidst the delinquent bills. He had much to decide.

(:::)

The two girls walked in the household hand in hand with each other. The music immediately filled Serenity's core, the bass reverberated through her body. The room was jam-packed full of vague faces she'd seen around school. Cups overflowing with alcohol were all over the place. This was strange territory to her. She never went to parties, mostly due to the fact she was never in the right social circles. But now, Rebecca as her tour guide, she was being pushed into the life headfirst. She had dressed Serenity in some of her party apparel. She was wearing a denim miniskirt with a torn bottom and a white off the shoulder top. Rebecca herself was wearing a short black strapless dress that was just long enough to cover her butt. Serenity had her long hair in an elegant ponytail as Rebecca's was combed down to close to her face. Serenity was amazed at what the wonders of makeup could do. The dark circles under Rebecca's eyes had seemingly disappeared and she seemed to look as normal as she was before she started dating Duke. But her overall body language was still dramatically different. Her body was arched, as if it were a mating call stance. She licked her lips and gave a small smile. Rebecca quickly ran her finger under her nose and sniffed swiftly. Serenity was confused at the action but brushed it off. She was unsure where to go next, waiting for Rebecca to make a move. All she did hope for was that she could avoid Seto. The undeniable attraction she had for him puzzled her and even frightened her a bit. If she could continue to not to look him in the eye, she felt as if she was in good shape. She wanted to talk to Mokuba but she never received a response from him on the status on his attendance.

Before she could dwell on it for another moment, she was being escorted to the drink table. At the table, Duke, Bakura and Marik were pouring themselves another drink. Serenity was about to simply request a pop but Rebecca had already handed her something spiked with liquor. Rebecca had her own drink prepared and raised her cup in a toast fashion. "To nights I can't remember with people I'll never forget!" Too timid to decline, she clinked cups with her companion and took her first sip of alcohol. The sudden sting caught her off guard instantly. She grimaced quickly and clenched her fist to help ease the substance. Bakura went over next to Serenity and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to help ease the experience. Rebecca gave had a small laugh at Serenity's expense. All three men though couldn't help but admire Serenity's outfit. It was the first time they had seen her so scantily dressed and they realized that she still maintain her innocent disposition. Rebecca, noticing this, quickly latched herself onto Duke. "Want to dance, dear?" He had one last longing look at Serenity and then his eyes shot to Bakura. He gave a nod and began to be led away by his partner.

Serenity looked down at her cup and twirled around the liquid inside. Just as she was about to set down the drink when she saw Seto dead ahead, taking a sip of his own drink, impaling her with his blue eyes. She almost fell to her knees, the only reason she was able to stand was because of Bakura. Bakura saw that she was being stared down by Seto. Bakura didn't know how to approach the matter. As he was about to open his mouth, Serenity began to speak. "Bakura, what's it feel like to…._really_ like someone?" She took another harsh sip of the drink. It went down a little easier than before but still attacked her throat. "Or just to want someone? There's a difference, right? Definitely."

"I'll tell you what, those lines are gonna get more confused if you keep sipping that." Bakura said with a cautious tone. Serenity looked down at her cup again.

"You know what they say, Bakura. When life gives you sin, you've got to indulge." As she finished her sentence, she downed the rest of her cup. Bakura could see Seto smirking from across the room.


End file.
